The DBQ Project Method™

The DBQ Project 6-Step Method underpins the design of all our DBQs and Mini-Qs. Each step builds on students’ curiosity and increases motivation and confidence to answer a compelling, authentic question.

---

	Step 1: The Hook Engages students and orients them to the question.
	Step 2: Background Essay Further orients students to the question and provides essential context that helps make sense of the documents.
	Step 3: Understanding the Question Helps students plan so they can target their investigation of the documents. Clarifying the question motivates students  to start reading their sources to find answers.
	Step 4: Document Analysis It’s like you’re a detective!  The documents provide clues and evidence students need to support their thesis or claim. They provide the knowledge and information students need to answer the question.
	Step 5: Bucketing, Chickenfoot & Thrash-out Helps students get organized. Buckets become containers for evidence that students use to categorize or group evidence from the documents. Students prepare to write by debating or “thrashing-out” their answer to the question. Students practice using evidence from the documents to support and verbally validate their claims. They use what they learn to outline their essays.
	Step 6: The Essay Students write multi-paragraph, evidence-based essays using their documents, buckets, and outlines to support and explain their reasoning.

The DBQ Project Method provides a framework of best practices that guides teachers and students to read smart, think straight, and write clearly.

How do you teach a DBQ?

It is much easier to assign a DBQ than to teach one. Using document-based questions as a method of instruction rather than just an exam is at the heart of DBQ’s philosophy.

To master high-level skills, students need high-level instruction.

The DBQ Project Library

“I had 2 previous students visit today. They asked if I still did "DBQs". When I said yes, they said they were the best thing we did in class. They helped them in High School more than anything else. One of the students said that if they had not done DBQs he never would have been able to do the writing he was assigned. Way to go DBQ Project!!!”

– Jill Breslin, Elementary and Middle School Teacher, Shasta Union Elementary, CA